MILLION-DOLLAR IDEA: Scan Books With This App And Get An Instant Bibliography For Research Papers

The idea: Instead of spending hours putting together a
bibliography, simply scan the barcode of the books with this app
and voila -- you have an instant list.

Quick Cite, a 99-cent app that works on the
iPhone and Android, automates the task of entering and formatting
books used in theses and research reports.

Here's how it works: After you scan a book's barcode with your
smartphone, Quick Cite will email you a citation formatted to fit
one of four common bibliographic styles: APA, MLA, Chicago, or
IEEE.

Whose idea: The app was developed over seven
sleepless days by seven undergraduates at the University of
Waterloo, reported Fast Company.

Why it's brilliant: Even though a great number
of sources are now online, PhD students and authors still rely on
many books for their research. This app will help anyone who
cites numerous books save hours of work.

Just don't forget to proofread. The Chronicle of Higher Education
found a few glitches. Some books showed up as
"Cambridge Univ Pr.," instead of "Cambridge University Press,"
for instance. Then again, we'll take those five minutes of
proofreading versus the alternative.

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